We spend nearly our whole lives being schooled; for our first 18-plus years, lesson plans, arguably, set the pace of our most impressionable time of life. While we're taught the practice of hypothesis, cause and effect and the Socratic Method, once we're outside of the classroom setting, most people never fully challenge what they learn, read or hear as it applies to their career, political opinions, their health or even their personal opinions and values. There often is a tendency in the midst of the demands of life, family and career to become complacent and accept what becomes our status quo rather than challenge and question.
It is not enough to simply focus on accumulating as much continuing education as possible nor is it the number of certifications or degrees we earn that correlates with our success; the real determinant of success lies in our ability and our tenacity to apply the education in a way that is purposeful and impactful.
As fitness professionals, the point of contention often lies in understanding fitness from a scientific perspective and then communicating and applying that information in an emotionally intelligent manner so to engage our clients and produce meaningful results. I would argue that the most successful fitness professionals do not hinge their success on the number of initials after their name or the number of conferences they've attended, but credit their success to tirelessly questioning information; taking an approach to learning with a healthy skepticism; they leave their ego behind, humbly accepting that education is an unending evolution and above all, have developed the ability to communicate their knowledge to practical application.
Strive to be inspired to learn daily. Approach education with a healthy skepticism and a "trust but verify" outlook. Personal and professional growth is limitless when we are assertive enough to question everything but humble enough to appreciate that we don't know what we don't know.
